Lightning Can Lock Up Playoff Spot

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been one of the NHL's elite teams for a decade now, and they've shown this season that they're not going away just yet.

With the regular season winding down, the Lightning sit at second in the Atlantic Division with 93 points, one ahead of the defending-champion Florida Panthers and three behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for first place. Tampa Bay made some bold moves in the offseason, letting Steven Stamkos walk and bringing in Jake Guentzel as his "replacement," but the team seems better than it has since the previous Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2022.

As the Lightning look to get back to that point, they'll have a chance to officially lock up their playoff berth on Thursday night.

The Lightning can clinch a playoff berth for the eighth consecutive season simply by beating the Ottawa Senators on the road. They lead the season series against the Senators 2-1, though both of their wins came on home ice. The one game in Ottawa, which the Senators won 5-4, was at the beginning of the season on Oct. 19.

Additionally, the Lightning can still clinch their playoff spots if they fall on Thursday. If they earn a point, they can clinch if the Montreal Canadiens lose to the Boston Bruins and the Columbus Blue Jackets lose to the Colorado Avalanche in any fashion.. If they lose in regulation, they can clinch if the Canadiens and Blue Jackets lose in regulation as well.

Tampa Bay is much better on home ice in general, boasting a 27-8-2 record at Amalie Arena compared to a 17-17-3 record on the road. They have won their past four games convincingly, however, including a 4-1 road win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday.

Jon Cooper's team has had plenty of postseason success over his tenure, but the past two years have been a bit rougher. The Lightning lost in six games to the Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, then lost in five games to the Panthers in the first round of the 2024 playoffs.

This year, the Lightning will look to not only get out of the first round, but prove that they're still a serious Stanley Cup contender.